eworzero

"Every man has inside himself a parasitic being
who is acting not at all to his advantage."
William S. Burroughs

2.11.2004

Number three: Chicago, IL

Woke at 7:45 a.m. Lynn had been attempting to wake me for 30 minutes. Lynn is gentle about waking me even though she hates mornings. Once I am awake she lets the "hate morning" mode show through. I like mornings; once awake.Commonly, I dream in vivid color. Last night I had such a dream. I don’t recall the details. That’s commonly the case. This morning, I didn’t shower. I was running late. I did make breakfast; egg, bagel, bacon and coffee. I left the house at 8:15 a.m. I was at the van by 8:30. Brad needed coffee so we stopped by the coffee shop with the morning girls who smile at all their customers. Afterward, Brad and I discussed the merits of greeting morning clients with a smile and sense of genuine happiness. At the warehouse, four day-labors were waiting.They were the same four that have been with us since Friday. They are beginning to get a sense of how things work. Brad or I are always late because we are always getting coffee.Each morning is the same routine:We stop at the coffee shop after meeting at the van.One of us is always ten minutes late to the van and we are always twenty minutes late at the warehouse.

Such is our standard and as such I always know when one of the day labors owns a cellular phone. If a day-laborer has a phone they always call the staffing office one minute past the time I was to be there. Five minutes later a call comes into my cell asking where I am.

Regardless, they get paid. It’s not their fault I’m twenty minutes late.So, today was a late day. The four laborers were waiting but the man with the keys was no where to be found.No Keys? We continued to wait. From there the day was bland and best ignored.

2.09.2004

Number Two – Dateline: Chicago, IL

Woke at 7:50Lynn showered while I dressedLeft apartment shortly after 8:10amStopped by nation-wide donut/bagel shop for coffee and bagel with sausage and cheeseDrove remaining two minutes to parking lot where van is keptBrad drove up to van at 8:35amWhile attempting to leave parking lot, van got stuck in snow bankTen minutes later drove van out of parking lotStopped by nation-wide donut/bagel shop, Brad needed a coffee

Arrived at warehouseNear the front warehouse door the drainage pipes had frozen and backed upLarge icicles where hanging from the door frameI broke the iciclesFour day laborers were waiting for us inside the warehousePablo, keeper of warehouse keys, was not on site.Keys are necessary to open the gate to the space Brad and I work inIt was thirty minutes before the keys made their way to the gate

The second FOURTY-FOOT container in four days arrived an hour laterSix of us unloaded the container in four hours

Brad and I dismissed the day labors at 1:00pmBefore they were dismissed I asked them to return at 9:00am tomorrow morning

Brad and I discussed, for one hour, better means of photographing inventory.We came to no conclusionsWe left for lunch

Lunch was at a major fast food restaurantI ate a chicken baguette while Brad had a bacon Swiss burgerI almost did not eat lunch at the major fast food restaurantThe major fast food restaurant has sold its parking lot to a security company which places a “Denver boot” on the tires of cars whose owners venture "off the premises for any reason"This I know because the very round security guard standing in the parking lot is someone who booted my truck eight months earlier when I parked in the parking lot on another major fast food restaurant’s parking lot. I walked into a cash exchange, located 10 feet from the restaurant, for laundry change before getting a burger.It cost me $110.00 to leave the parking lot that dayIt was the same round individual who was in the parking lot of the major fast food restaurant todayI was angry

Later, brad and I picked up six drop clothes that were in my apartmentMy apartment is near the major fast food restaurantI made teaMarry, the oldest of the three cats, had managed to get into the kitchen cabinetsHad I not come home she would have been in the cabinets for 8 hoursAs it was, she was underneath the kitchen sink for 6 hoursMarry hid under the bed as soon as I opened the cabinet

Brad and I returned to workBrad and I spoke with Greg for thirty minutesGreg would like me to replace the ventilation in the refinishing room

2.08.2004

Number One - The Day In Review:

Location: Indianapolis, IndianaOn Background: spending the weekend at the house of Lynn’s parents. Lynn and I have spent most recent weekends at her parents meeting with photographers, florists, location coordinators and other people necessary to prepare for a wedding.

Lynn woke me at 10:00amMay have been having nightmaresHead was thick from several beers at dinner and a stiff portion of cognac before bed

Ate egg, hash-brown and sausage casserole while drinking coffeeLearned that the egg, hash-brown and sausage casserole was the first of its kind attempted by Mrs. BarnettMrs. Barnett referred to breakfast as satisfyingBreakfast was good

With Lynn and her mother, reviewed wording for wedding invitations

Drank more coffeeShowered in a blue bathroomAchieved the clouds and rainDressed in tan slacks, blue shirt and warm socks

Went with Lynn and Parents to try on tuxedos at nation-wide tuxedo sales and rental storeSelected formal “Cut-away” style for attire of groom’s partyAte lunch at sandwich shop with nation-wide presenceReturned to Lynn’s parents home

Discussed with Dr. Barnett pros and cons of shoe rental as compared with shoe purchaseResearched on-line, with Dr. Barnett, formal shoes available through major nation-wide departments storesDecided to rent shoes from before mentioned nation-wide tuxedo sales and rental companyLearned that Dr. Barnett has, since youth, envied those who owned patented-leather, oxford dress shoes

Dr. Barnett made a fire in the fireplaceRead from thick book while sitting in chair in front of fireplaceAttempted to avoid Lynn and Mrs. Barnett discussing financial aspects of wedding photographers and floristsRead article on sailing in the doldrums

Drank coffeePackedLoaded carSaid good bye for nowDrove back to ChicagoPurchased three tv-dinners, two boxes of cat food and one bottle of BourbonArrived homeAte dinnerWatch TVDrank bourbonWrote notes on day